Test drive new technologies in Bridgestone Turanza T005
The touring tires of the Japanese company are aimed at leadership in their class.
The appearance of the new Bridgestone Turanza T005 premium touring tire has once again made us wonder how high-tech the four black ovals on which the car travels should be.
It is unlikely that when he founded his company in 1931, when the now famous large European and American tire manufacturers already had a history, Shoiro Ishibashi (in Japanese his surname means stone bridge, hence the name of the company) guessed in which giant it would become ... With more than a quarter of global tire sales today, the Bridgestone / Firestone Group is # XNUMX on this list and is a leader in R&D investment with technical and development centers and test sites in Japan, USA, Italy, China, Mexico. , Brazil, Thailand and Indonesia. The company's passenger car range (excluding motorcycles, trucks, construction, agricultural and aircraft) includes the Potenza sports car, a wide range of so-called Turanza touring tires, Ecopia low rolling resistance tires, Dueler SUVs and the winter series. Blizzak.
Nanotechnology and complex stereometry
The reason for all this is the presentation of a completely new wide range summer tire Turanza T005, since the main goal of the engineers was to achieve the maximum level of safety, especially on wet surfaces, with the appropriate marking for class A and class B for efficiency. At first glance, Turanza T005 does not shine with any impressive design. However, a close look at the architecture of a tire opens up a whole new world - a complex structure of grooves and sipes with different internal structures and configurations. Each of the elements is carefully calculated both individually and in interaction with other tire components. This concept should provide quality across the entire size range, which extends from 14" to 21". It all starts with the high-tech compound that the tire is made from - a patented complex polymer structure called Bridgestone Nano Pro-tech, which is blended using an entirely new process to a high silica level. Consistency is a trade secret, but the fact is that it allows for a better balance in achieving conflicting qualities, such as handling and durability, while maintaining these qualities over time.
The second important element in the tire performance improvement equation is tire architecture. For starters, these are the outer parts of the tread that border the boards. They have the so-called "connected blocks" - with the help of several bridges, which provide the necessary mobility of the blocks, but at the same time optimize contact and pressure distribution. They increase deformation resistance and improve the transmission of longitudinal forces to the road, as well as improve shoulder contact when braking. The second "geometric" component to achieve better wet performance is the optimization of the size of the central longitudinal grooves in the name of draining water from the tire. Larger channels will work for this purpose, but they will worsen the stopping distance - Bridgestone engineers were looking for the best possible balance between these two conflicting requirements. The continuation of the operation of the channels are arcuate channels in the lateral part, leading the water out. Three longitudinal round blocks in the central part of the tread have more sipes, and two outer ones have a design with special grooves, which reduces the deformation of the diamond-shaped blocks when the car is stopped and preserves the tire geometry and, therefore, the behavior of the tire. and when stopped.
Also, there have been changes in the tire carcass with a change in the design of the beads, reinforcing hoops, steel belts (in the name of a combination of comfort, low rolling resistance and good handling), reinforced polyester top layers and tire distribution.
Drainage
The Turanza T005 was completely developed at the Bridgestone Research Center in Rome and even after the engineering work was completed, it took a full year to reach the final product level. Reliability, wet and dry behavior and handling are simulated on different vehicles and routes. Special attention is paid to destructive testing with very soft tires due to the fact that many drivers do not regularly monitor their pressure. According to independent tests by TUV SUD, the Turanza T005 shows better lateral wet grip compared to Michelin Primacy 3, Continental Premium Contact 5, Good Year Efficient Grip Performance, Pirelli Cinturato P7 on the popular 205/55 R16 91V size (tests performed with VW Golf 7). The demonstrations we witnessed on the high-speed circuit near Aprilia by former Formula 1 driver Stefano Modena demonstrate the high limits of direction change and dry driving (which is rare in real life) as well as the exceptional ability of the Turanza. The T005 drops water, maintains its trajectory and stops even at high speeds on a circular wet track and on wet track with a lot of turns.
New Turanza T005 replaces T001. EVO3 has 10% longer lifespan than it is already on the market and will be available in 2019 sizes from 140 to 14 inches by 21.
Text: Georgy Kolev
